We often overestimate our wisdom. We often overestimate our capacity to rightly assess any given situation. We often overestimate our ability to know what would be best for ourselves and those we love. We are nothing if not self-focused, nothing if not self-reliant, nothing if not self-assured. Of course we know that, in theory, we are limited little creatures whose knowledge is small and whose understanding is minimal. But this rarely stops us from acting as if we know far more than we actually do, as if we are far wiser than we actually are. This rarely stops us from praying as if the best thing God could ever do is to grant us our desires, to cede to our will, to do things in the way we demand. “Nevertheless, not as you will, but as I will” is so often our functional petition before the Lord. But those who live by faith must have faith not only in God’s salvation but also in his providence. They must have faith that God knows best not only when it comes to the state of their souls but also the events of their lives, to entrust to him not just their distant happy future in heaven, but also their difficult present here on earth. They must have faith in God’s desire to hear their prayers, in his ability to answer their prayers, but also in his far greater capacity to know what is best for them and what best serves his great plan and purpose. It is … Continue reading Longing for What’s Second Best